A/N: I am still here. This is still here..you are still here. I appreciate you. Thank you for sticking with this story. When I say this is ending..it is ending really soon. And as I said before, the sequel will still happen. But like this story I need to complete my other stories before I start it..and then after that, the sequel will be my only and main story.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
Naruto ended up sleeping away the rest of his birthday much to his disappointment. Sasuke didn't mind though as he liked sleeping, so he hugged Naruto close as they slept the night away. Naruto was grateful he didn't have a hangover when he woke up, rather he felt refreshed. He was also happy to see Sasuke at his side.
"Morning Sasuke." Naruto kissed Sasuke's forehead as he stirred awake.
Sasuke yawned and slowly opened his eyes. His hair was a mess so Naruto hand combed Sasuke's hair. Sasuke softly purred, leaning into the attention.
"Hey, would you like to come visit the house for the orphanage?" Naruto asked.
"Will Itachi come..?" Sasuke asked.
"If he wants to, of course he can."
"In a couple months dad said it should be ready, but you can come over to see later today if you want. It would be better if you got used to the place as well." Naruto ruffled Sasuke's spiky hair.
Sasuke's ear twitched.
"D..do we have to live there..?" Sasuke was a little confused.
"Not exactly, we will hire people to help out and some of them will be provided housing. We will have to stay there in the beginning though as it'll be tough to find people to help out right away. My dad said that we should try having it available right away even if it's not fully ready. He thinks we'll be able to handle it by ourselves at the start of it as we won't have too many hybrids." Naruto explained. "Will you be okay with that? I don't want you to be uncomfortable doing something you don't want to do."
Sasuke nodded.
"I..I want to help." He leaned onto Naruto.
Naruto squeezed Sasuke, happy that he wanted to help out. It would make it easier for him and provide less stress.
They eventually got up and got ready for the day. They ate breakfast with everyone, including Kyuubi. Naruto was a little excited so he told Sasuke to prepare to visit the mansion. Itachi couldn't resist asking if he could come, and Naruto already had plans to take him much to his excitement. Naruto did ask Kyuubi if he wanted to come, but he declined. Kyuubi didn't feel like being so close to the others and he just wanted to be alone.
They all got ready to leave, but Itachi felt a little worried for Kyuubi. He quickly packed some things like snacks and drinks for the short trip and then he went to go find Kyuubi. He went downstairs and found Kyuubi sitting at the piano bench.
"Kurama..?" Itachi spoke softly, peeking through the door. "Why don't you come with us..?" Itachi started to open the door wider and step inside.
"I already said I didn't want to go." He started to tap the piano keys.
"But I would like you to come." Itachi honestly said. He felt his chest start to pound a little bit. Why did he feel so nervous?
Kyuubi hesitated for a little bit before answering.
"Naruto didn't tell you to get me?" He looked at Itachi.
"No..?" Itachi was a little confused.
"No, nothing." Kyuubi got up, a little happy Itachi came on his own. "I'll go."
Itachi almost smiled, but he held it in. He nodded and headed back upstairs where Naruto and Sasuke were waiting.
"I see you convinced Kyuubi to go." Naruto grinned as he saw Kyuubi slowly come up the stairs.
Itachi suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but he didn't really understand the feeling either. He quietly nodded and helped to put things in the carriage.
They finally left the house and it was quiet at the beginning. Kyuubi stared out the window, not bothering to make any small talk at all. Itachi simply stared at his hands, fiddling with his fingers idly. Sasuke ended up falling asleep within thirty minutes, leaning his head on Naruto's shoulder. All the while, Naruto had dozed off as well, leaning on Sasuke's head with his mouth open and drooling slightly.
An hour had passed and Itachi was feeling quite bored. He looked at his little brother and Naruto who were still asleep across from him and smiled to himself. He took a quick glance at Kyuubi who was next to him. Kyuubi was still staring outside the small window, but he noticed Itachi. Their eyes met and Itachi quickly averted his gaze back to his hands. He started to pick a hangnail to appear busy.
Itachi winced a little bit when he accidentally peeled it a little too much, drawing a little bit of blood. He licked the blood away, not wanting to wipe it on his clothes. He then started to peel a different one, but was startled when Kyuubi put his hand on top of Itachi's.
"Stop." Kyuubi said as he lightly smacked Itachi's hands.
"Sorry,," Itachi softly whispered, a little dumbfounded on what just happened.
Kyuubi then squeezed Itachi's hand without looking at Itachi. Kyuubi's heart picked up in pace, not wanting to see Itachi's reaction.
Itachi didn't move a muscle. The small gesture nearly shocked him. Several seconds passed and Itachi turned his hand over and intertwined his fingers with Kyuubi's. He felt his chest tighten up with nervousness. He wasn't sure what to do.
They were quiet and they stayed that way for a bit. Itachi was the first one to pull away when Naruto started to stir awake. Kyuubi was disappointed but he understood as he didn't want Naruto to see as well.
Naruto accidentally woke up Sasuke in the process, so he tried making small talk with everyone, but Kyuubi didn't speak the rest of the ride, curtly ignoring Naruto.
They finally reached the mansion and Naruto gave them a short tour of the front yard and backyard before going inside. It was really messy, yet it gave off an empty feeling. There were some orders of furniture wrapped in plastic laid about.
Naruto was excited showing the others the house. He showed them the kitchen and the dining room and said that they were planning to get a big table so more people could sit together. Although he had no idea how everything was going to be, he was just happy he could help others as a way to pay back.
He showed the rooms they would sleep in and if Kyuubi was going to help out, Naruto had Itachi and Kyuubi share a room. Naruto knew this would at least pique Kyuubi's interest. Naruto showed the rest of the rooms, briefly just showing where the others would sleep. He explained how many of the rooms would have bunk beds.
Kyuubi started getting bored from walking around and sat down at a plastic covered couch. He watched them continue Naruto's tour, but he just wanted to go back home. Or at least, he could spend some time with Itachi, but he was just as excited as Naruto was. Although Kyuubi said he would wait, he was also impatient. He sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.
Naruto was done giving the tour and they sat at a small table and ate some snacks. Itachi bombarded Naruto with a lot of questions regarding the orphanage. Sasuke simply sat there and snacked while Itachi and Naruto were talking.
"Hey Itachi, I have a favour to ask you." Naruto started to whisper. "Do you think you can convince Kyuubi to work here? I think it'll help him if he's around other hybrids and to keep him more active. All he does is hole himself down in his room and then goes to the bar whenever at night."
"I..can try." Itachi whispered, a little apprehensive to talk to Kyuubi about it.
"Great, he seems to listen to you more." Naruto grinned, talking in his normal voice.
Kyuubi later came to grab some snacks. Naruto started rambling about the things that still needed to be done, only Itachi was actually paying attention. Sasuke and Kyuubi were bored and started flicking crumbs at each other across the table.
They had to leave and go back home so they cleaned up and made sure everything was in order before they left. It was starting to get dark so they quickly got back in the carriage and they went home.
Sasuke was sleepy by the time they got back and Naruto had to carry him.
"You spoil him to much." Kyuubi commented before he went to the basement.
"He deserves it." Naruto softly smiled and then went upstairs to his room.
"Whatever." Kyuubi mumbled, then looking at Itachi.
The sudden attention caught Itachi off guard.
Kyuubi couldn't understand why he was so bothered. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a little jealous of Naruto's and Sasuke's relationship. After years of being single, although he never really had a love interest, he had a hard time controlling himself when the person he liked was right in front of him.
He suddenly grabbed Itachi and slung him over his shoulder.
"K..Kurama..?!" Itachi could've fought back but he didn't. He was confused on what was happening.
Kyuubi threw Itachi onto his bed. He felt impatient. He saw Itachi start to get up, but he pinned him back down.
"I..I don't like this.." Itachi started to feel a little bit panicked.
"Why can't you just admit you like me." Kyuubi growled.
"Kurama.." Itachi started, but was interrupted by Kyuubi.
"I know I said I would wait, but how long?" He ignored the fact it hasn't even been that long.
"I..don't know." Itachi softly admitted. "Kurama..you're scaring me."
Seeing Itachi's scared eyes made Kyuubi snap back to reality. He jumped back, off from Itachi.
"Sorry..I..just get frustrated sometimes." Kyuubi sighed and sat at his chair. "I wasn't going to do anything..it was just impulsive." He looked away.
Itachi didn't say anything. He just sat up grabbing onto his clothes.
Kyuubi noticed Itachi wasn't acting normal.
"'Tachi?" Kyuubi called out to him and then he moved in front of Itachi.
Itachi was trembling and his eyes weren't focusing on anything.
"Itachi..?" Kyuubi reached his hand out, but he felt a stabbing pain in his chest when Itachi flinched.
Itachi's memories of being raped and abused started flooding back. He felt sick to his stomach. He felt disgusting. It felt like his throat started closing up and he had hard time breathing. It wasn't Kurama's fault, but he couldn't calm himself down. He grabbed onto Kyuubi's clothes for support as he suddenly lurched over and vomited on the floor. The last thing he could remember was Kurama calling his name frantically before passing out.
Itachi woke up a little dazed. The sunlight was peeking through his curtains and onto his face, making him turn away from the beam. He sat up, a little confused on how he got to his room. That's when he noticed Sasuke sleeping right next to him. He could tell Sasuke was crying as he had tear stains on his cheeks.
It was early in the morning, but Itachi had remembered what happened last night. He had a foul taste in his mouth from the vomit so he got up to brush his teeth. Itachi also notice his clothes were changed. He then heard soft footsteps approach him.
"A..aniki..?" Sasuke peeked into the bathroom. "Are you okay..?"
Itachi quickly finished brushing and then gave a smile to his brother. He playfully teased Sasuke by poking his forehead and then brought him into a tight hug.
"Yes Sasuke..I'm okay. We're okay." Itachi gave a big sigh in relief. "Why don't we sleep some more."
They went back to Itachi's bed and laid down. Itachi brought Sasuke into a hug, glad he was there. He couldn't really go back to sleep, so he just let Sasuke rest in his arms. He also hoped Kurama was okay. He made a note to apologize for making a scene. He tried his best to constantly remind himself that everything is okay. He was free. He was protected by Naruto, Kurama, the Hokage himself, and even his own little brother Sasuke. But in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't shake that anxiety off, not yet. He was haunted by his past and while he was getting better, he just didn't expect it to hit him that hard.
He hoped Kurama didn't hate him. He wasn't sure why he would, but he was still a little scared. He had to admit he was overwhelmed by Kurama's advances. He just couldn't predict Kurama, but Itachi knew he could trust him. Itachi was also confident in his skills to fight back, not that he wanted to fight with him.
Since his mind was a little more clear, he was able to reflect on his past. He gave a soft sigh. He closed his eyes and hugged his now sleeping brother closer. Sometimes he still couldn't believe his reality.
A couple hours later, Naruto came into Itachi's room and sat on the edge of the bed. He noticed Itachi was awake so he put his hand on Itachi's arm.
"You okay?" Naruto softly asked.
"Yes.." Itachi played with Sasuke's hair. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? Kyuubi was really worried for you, but I think he blames himself for what happened. Maybe you should try talking to him. He won't speak to me at all."
"It's not his fault.." Itachi ears sank.
"Yes, I know. That's why I think you should tell him that." Naruto noticed Sasuke waking up. "Good morning Sasuke."
Sasuke's ears flicked as he rubbed his eye. He was still tired, but he got up to hug Naruto.
"Why don't you speak with Kyuubi." Naruto repeated as he squished Sasuke.
Itachi nodded, and he got up. He quietly made his way downstairs and knocked on the door softly. After several seconds, there was no answer. Itachi opened the door and peeked inside.
"Kurama?" Itachi called out and fully went inside.
He saw Kyuubi sitting on his bed looking a bit stressed.
"I'm really sorry 'Tachi.." Kyuubi couldn't look at Itachi.
"It's not your—" Itachi started.
"Then whose is it?" Kyuubi gave a soft growl.
"Not yours.." Itachi softly said as he sat down next to Kyuubi.
Kyuubi didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He just kept his gaze towards the floor. He was surprised when Itachi leaned on him.
"I enjoy being with you Kurama." Itachi gave a soft smile, unseen by Kyuubi. "I haven't felt comfortable like this in years."
"But.." Kyuubi started, but it was Itachi's turn to interrupt him.
Itachi gave a soft kiss on Kyuubi's cheek. Kyuubi started to feel flustered, not accustomed to this kind of affection.
"U..uhm.." Kyuubi held his cheek where Itachi kissed, it felt hot. "I wasn't expecting that."
Itachi enjoyed seeing Kyuubi flustered.
"Kurama, thank you." Itachi looked at Kyuubi and smiled. "You've helped me more than you realize."
"'Tachi.." Kyuubi brought Itachi into a tight hug. "I'm really sorry for scaring you last night."
"It's okay." Itachi hugged him back. "You should really fix your bad manners though." Itachi teached.
"Yeah whatever." Kyuubi couldn't help but grin.
He let Itachi go and gave a big sigh as he laid down.
"I was so worried you'd hate me." Kyuubi covered his eyes with his arm. "Ugh, I hate this."
"I quite enjoy seeing your reactions." Itachi was honest, noticing Kyuubi was looking at him now.
"That's even worse." Kyuubi growled softly at Itachi's teasing.
"I do have one thing I'd like to request." Itachi's ears twitched.
"What is it?" Kyuubi sat up.
"Will you help with the orphanage with me?" Itachi tilted his head on purpose.
"Naruto asked you didn't he." Kyuubi growled, but he couldn't resist the cute head tilt.
"He did, but I would really like to be with you."
It never actually dawned on Kyuubi that if he didn't help with the orphanage, he would see Itachi less. He just wasn't keen on doing that kind of work.
"Fine." Kyuubi grumbled. "They better move my piano."
Itachi was glad Kurama was back to his normal self.
Naruto was eating ramen with Sasuke when they both saw Kyuubi and Itachi come up the stairs to eat.
"Glad to see that you two are all good." Naruto said with his mouth filled with ramen.
"Don't talk to me with your mouth full." Kyuubi looked at Naruto with disgust.
Naruto just continued to slurp ramen into his mouth. He watched Sasuke get up, wondering where he was going but he didn't say anything. He saw Sasuke approach Kyuubi and then suddenly gut punched him.
"D..don't hurt aniki again..!" Sasuke exclaimed as he quickly ran back to Naruto.
"You..!" Kyuubi hissed, holding his stomach.
He glared at Sasuke, but he just slumped in the chair. He gave a growl at Naruto who was just laughing. Itachi was shocked that Sasuke would actually hit someone else like that.
"Otouto, don't hit him like that." Itachi got up and flicked Sasuke's forehead.
Sasuke pouted, upset that Itachi was defending Kyuubi. He turned his head, refusing to look at the two. Naruto held his chopsticks in front of Sasuke holding ramen, offering it to Sasuke who ate it.
Itachi gave a soft sigh and sat back next to Kyuubi. He didn't understand why Kyuubi and Sasuke didn't get along.
Naruto and Sasuke finished eating so they went upstairs. They went on Naruto's bed and Sasuke sat next to him.
"You do know Kyuubi never meant to harm Itachi right? Or at least I hope he doesn't." Naruto remembered what Kyuubi did to Sasuke which didn't help Kyuubi's case at all.
Sasuke didn't answer, but he leaned onto Naruto who wrapped an arm around him.
"You've been quiet lately, you okay?" Naruto kissed the top of Sasuke's head.
Sasuke nodded. He was fine, but so many things were happening that he was just tired. He buried his head into Naruto's chest. He started to purr slightly when Naruto started to run his hand through his hair and rub his ear.
"I love you Sasuke." Naruto smiled.
Sasuke looked up at Naruto and gave him a little smiled back.
"I love you too." Sasuke felt happy.
"I am truly grateful to you Sasuke. It's nice to just lay down here with you and just relax. Everything just seems so..peaceful. You two are really helping me and Kyuubi a lot. Just like us, please give Itachi and Kyuubi some time. I don't know what you really think, but we can't stop their relationship or feelings, nor should we interfere with it." Naruto rubbed Sasuke's cheek. "Itachi's strong, if Kyuubi really did something, I think he could defend himself. Don't you think so as well?"
Sasuke nodded, but he just didn't want his brother to be hurt.
"I just don't like Kyuubi." Sasuke mumbled.
"I know you don't mean it." Naruto grinned.
Sasuke pouted but didn't say anything back.
"Honestly Sasuke, I'm glad you're here with me." Naruto squeezed Sasuke to the point Sasuke had to break the hug.
"I'm happy too." Sasuke bit Naruto's shoulder in retaliation for squeezing him hard.
"Ow..!" Naruto didn't expect that. "Damn, you're getting more bold as time goes by but that's a good thing. It's kinda hot?"
Sasuke just tilted his head in confusion.
"Ahh but cute Sasuke is cute too!" Naruto went back to squeezing him.
Sasuke gave up and just let Naruto hug him. He felt loved. He gave a chaste kiss on Naruto's lips.
Naruto couldn't help but blush a little since it was rare Sasuke initiated things. He had never felt this level of love and excitement for someone.
"What would I do without you.." Naruto mumbled as he smothered Sasuke with hugs and kisses.
They spent the rest of the morning talking to each other and their plans for the future. There was nothing that could separate them now. They knew, deep down that their bond would stay strong despite any future problems.
To them, everything was perfect.